The Pacific Surfliner has grown to become the second-busiest rail corridor in the U.S. However, the line competes with local commuter rail, including the Coaster and Metrolink, causing some of the Amtrak trains to experience weak ridership during off-peak periods, Caltrans officials said.

Caltrans believes added spending on outside PR can boost ridership.

In addition to beefing up ridership and creating a safety initiative, the contract aims to increase food and beverage revenue, improve customer satisfaction ratings and boost passenger information online, onboard and at public venues.

Another requirement would be to produce nine three-minute videos to familiarize first-time passengers with Amtrak California’s amenities and destinations and to post them on YouTube and AmtrakCalifornia.com and distribute them to the media and elsewhere.

Noel T. Braymer of the Rail Passenger Association of California and Nevada said he hopes the PR push bolsters Amtrak’s efforts to promote longer trips such as those from San Diego to San Luis Obispo, which are more cost-effective for the rail service. (The trip takes almost eight hours and costs $59.)

“There’s nothing wrong with advertising as long as you get a return on your investment,” said Braymer, of Oceanside. “The only way to make it viable is to make it grow. You can’t cut your way to make it break even.”